Ryan Cass
Baytown,TX
Summary
A Material Science Engineer with 10 years of experience managing staff and delivering continuous process improvements. Skilled in mechanical, chemical, and metallography testing, analysis, and production evaluation. Successfully implemented quality assurance rounds to optimize manufacturing process and customer satisfaction. Assisted leading the quality assurance department during leadership transition to maintain strong quality results and culture. Held a TS/SCI with Full-Scope Polygraph clearance.
Overview
12
12
years of professional experience
Work History
QA Process Engineer (Supervisor Manager and Technical Support)
Optimus Steel
Vidor, TX
01.2019 - Current
- Implement Quality Rounds to reduce Customer Claims $ from 1.4M to 400K from 2020-2024
- Production supervisor of 6 union employees and 2 hourly employees overseeing mechanical tensile, chemistry, and metallography labs
- Leads multiple successful ISO 9001 recertifications and AASTO NTPEP audits
- Acting as the head of customer technical service
- Overseeing corrective actions, processing claims, managing new product inquiries, and gathering feedback
- Assists with annual action plans, reviews, check meeting, and budgets for QA
- Responsible for Quality KPI’s such as QA safety metrics, coil and billets on hold, customer claims, customer response time, as well as product development
- Oversees daily QA routine management including reviewing and releasing all coil production and dispositioning, customer inquiries, as well as new product development
- Achieved plant record for lowest coils on hold at 0 tons
- Leads teams in failure analysis and support methodologies.
Routine Facilitator III (Supervisor Manager)
Gerdau
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
11.2016 - 08.2018
Improvement Facilitator I (Process Engineer)
Gerdau
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
06.2015 - 11.2016
- Responsible for furnace electrical energy and energy demand management programs, generating savings of over $5 million per year from 2015 - 2018
- Assisted the plant to reach a safety record of 1 year without a Lost Time Accident (LTA) and the melt shop to achieve 2 years without a LTA
- Worked with melt shop management staff to improve process control and create cost efficiency projects
- Facilitated reduction of alloy consumption through creation of regressions and tools to reduce alloys in our steel grades, yielding a savings of over $250,000
- Managed furnace employees operating the ARL lab spectrometer and slag analyzer.
Quality Assurance Management Associate
Gerdau
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
06.2013 - 06.2015
- Completed a 2-year Gerdau Corporate Management Associates Development Program
- Worked on new rebar grade developments of A706 Grade 80, 100, and dual grade
- Oversaw billet yard inventory resulting in savings from reduced monthly inventory adjustments
- Created several job aids, routine procedures, and one-point lessons for quality assurance tasks.
Material Science and Engineering Intern
Luna Innovations
Blacksburg, VA
07.2012 - 04.2013
- Aided the Advanced Material and Multifunctional Materials Division in the R&D projects on ultra-hydrophobic textiles coatings
- Mixed and analyzed ultra-hydrophobic and oleophobic formulations
- Completed extensive tests of the coated fabric following the ASTM procedure including contact angle, water permeability, spray rating, shower test, and oil drop repellency.
Production supervisor
- Of 40 union employees operating the electric arc furnace, overhead cranes, and caster
- Facilitated teaching sessions for operators under a training matrix on compliance standards, routine methodologies, policies, practices and processes
- Tracked performance on various KPI such as electrode/alloy consumption, furnace electrical energy, total energy, metallic losses, and non-conforming product
- Oversaw daily routine management activities to keep the melt shop running at high capacity
- Achieved plant record for throughput (i.e., tons per hour) in 2017
- Administered all safety activities such as safety hour, monthly trainings, and procedures.
Education
B.S - Materials Science and Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
05.2013
Skills
- Skilled in
- SAP, QMOS, Six Sigma, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint
- Customer technical service experience
- Oversees quality audits with ISO NTPEP and DOTs
- Works well in teams
- Strong program managements skills
- Experience managing over 40 union employees
Accomplishments
- Held TS/SCI Clearance with full scope polygraph
- AWARDS
- (Gerdau) Top 5 Management Associate Graduation Project and Presentation, December 2015
- The project centered on rebar grade 80 product development and was presented in front of Gerdau GEC (Gerdau's Executive Council)
- (Virginia Tech) 1st Place in Physical Ceramic's Team Business Proposal and Formal Design Project Presentation, Fall 2011.
Timeline
QA Process Engineer (Supervisor Manager and Technical Support)
Optimus Steel
01.2019 - Current
Routine Facilitator III (Supervisor Manager)
Gerdau
11.2016 - 08.2018
Improvement Facilitator I (Process Engineer)
Gerdau
06.2015 - 11.2016
Quality Assurance Management Associate
Gerdau
06.2013 - 06.2015
Material Science and Engineering Intern
Luna Innovations
07.2012 - 04.2013
Production supervisor
B.S - Materials Science and Engineering
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech)
Similar Profiles
Harry MCDONALDHarry MCDONALD
Finish Area Operator at Optimus SteelFinish Area Operator at Optimus Steel
Bryce HollyfieldBryce Hollyfield
Rolling Mill Operator at Optimus SteelRolling Mill Operator at Optimus Steel
WENDELL D. MELONSON JR.WENDELL D. MELONSON JR.
Charge Crane Operator at Optimus SteelCharge Crane Operator at Optimus Steel